Latvia's election commission: Parliamentary vote preparations on track
A day before Latvia's parliamentary elections, the Central Election Commission's head says the process is running smoothly, though no guarantees can be given on technical systems.
Māris Zviedris, chairman of Latvia's Central Election Commission (CVK), said in a Friday TV3 interview that the parliamentary election process is currently running "pleasantly smoothly," despite some minor hitches within normal limits.
Asked to assess readiness for the elections from a technical and general standpoint, Zviedris rated the involved institutions' preparedness, excluding technology, at 9 out of 10. However, he noted that "technology is technology" and no absolute guarantees could be given regarding its flawless operation.
The CVK chairman pledged that the commission would do everything possible to ensure no voter's ballot goes uncounted, despite any potential glitches that might arise.
Strong early voting turnout
Zviedris expressed hope that voter turnout in this election could be relatively high, since broader opportunities for voting have been created both on election day itself and in advance.
Parliamentary elections in Latvia will take place tomorrow, though advance voting remains possible today as well. So far, in the elections for the 15th Saeima, 115,836 voters — or 7.44% of those eligible — have already cast their ballots.
By comparison, four years ago in the 14th Saeima elections, advance voting was only available for three days and at a limited number of polling stations. At that time, around 63,300 voters, or 4.11% of those eligible, had voted in advance by election day. Overall turnout in that election reached 59.41% of eligible voters.
